Teachers, how did you cope with morning sickness at work?

[periwinkle86]

I’ll be 7 weeks tomorrow and over the last few days nausea has properly got started. I’ve not actually been sick so far but feel dreadful, and am also absolutely exhausted.

I’m a secondary school teacher so back at work in person and wondering if anyone has any tips on how to manage when morning sickness strikes mid-lesson? I teach all over the school so can’t keep supplies of crackers or ginger biscuits in my classroom, though I’ll obviously be able to bring water with me.

Between marking loads of assessments and other stuff going on at school at the moment, things are already super busy, and right now the thought of going to work tomorrow and trying to fight off sickness in a lesson or while trying to control the unruly lunch queue genuinely makes me want to cry!

Any suggestions of how to manage this would be much appreciated!

I was primary not secondary but you definitely need to keep food in your bag for wherever you go! I couldn’t go 10 mins without eating something to make the feeling go away.
See how you go but if you can’t manage at work then speak to your gp as you may need to get signed off for a while until the sickness passes.

I had to let my slt know quite early because I was so sick. Was often grazing in class and had to run out of the room or throw up in a bin more than once!

I was a primary school teacher with no class ta so by myself all day. I had a cup of water with a straw available at all times, peppermint tea as well as mint imperials. I found sucking on mint imperials really helped (my go to in this pregnancy as well, currently 8 weeks). There were a few times where I threw up in the bin as couldn't leave the kids alone.

Also a secondary teacher. 7 weeks on Tuesday. This last week has been a real struggle. Had to ditch the mask for a start!

Bottle of water with slices of lemon.
Crackers, polo's, lemon flavour travel sweets all in my bag. Salt and vinegar crisps. I also wear travel sickness bands throughout most of the day, hidden under long sleave cardigans, but sometimes it's just to hot.

I think I'll have to let school know soon though. Came so close to asking to go home last week but stuck it out. Have felt much better over the weekend when I've been resting and taking it easy.

Lots of water, mints and ginger biscuits for me. I'm secondary and had my own lab and I'm not ashamed to say I threw up in a few sinks. I told school very early as I had to move lab (I was next door to the chem store and radioactive sources) so they were prepared. I pretty much had all day/all pregnancy sickness though so they got use to it. The kids figured it out pretty quickly, although I did have one parent complain that I shouldn't let anything distract me from teaching their child. Apparently I should have just held it in if I had to dash off to vomit.

I was 7 weeks when we all went back in March and I lasted a day before I told SLT. I carried a HUGE bag of snacks around with me and told the pupils I was sorry but I couldn’t wear my mask because I was so breathless and I had to keep eating to stop the vom. Turned out I had HG and was signed off from the following Monday and I’m still off at 17 weeks 😬

Had I stayed, I’d have pushed for room changes to be near the toilet. Also, though, if you’re struggling then you are more than entitled to take some time off. It’s such a difficult job to do at the moment anyway, never mind trying to be sick and teach a full timetable and everything else. Look after yourself!

Also secondary. Room change to be near the loo, vomited in the bin and had cold mashed potato to eat as that was the only thing I could keep down! Kids got used to it and it eventually passed.....
Got a baby out of it in the end so all good 😀

Aww I feel for you! I’m a primary teacher and was so lucky I was only sick weeks 8-12, exactly when we were in lockdown and working from home. It was bad enough sitting in front of a camera knowing at any point I might need to run off to be sick. I’m now into my third trimester and started having cereal followed by toast/a bagel during this month of being sick. I tried to stop it about week 20 something and ended up being sick when I’d only had cereal, yet that hadn’t been a problem at all for months. I found carby food (mainly bread) really helped because it meant I wasn’t hungry. If I had been at work there was probably one week where I just felt awful and would have probably phoned in sick. The rest of the time I would have ran out my class to the toilet because my head teacher knew I was pregnant at least. Luckily the kids in my class are so young they’d be none the wiser and probably wouldn’t even notice I was missing. Can only imagine how much harder that is when you’re dealing with much older children. Have heard some people say the anti sickness bands help but my friend used them and said they didn’t work for her. Ginger biscuits too but I think just any sort of carby biscuit to eat every half an hour or something so you aren’t hungry in the slightest. I also found most mornings when I was sick it was because the thought of it had entered my head first and the second I let myself think about it I would have to sprint to the toilet. The odd time I was able to try and block it out and take deep breaths which did sometimes stop it. Maybe wearing a mask will be easier to hide if you’re boking under it 🙈 Hope it ends as soon as possible for you. If you’re really struggling definitely take a week or two off

Like others, I took food everywhere with me and ate when I needed to. The alternative was to be off work, so they let me get on with it. I told people early, including some of my classes. I even avoided an Ofsted Dept inspection by asking them to tell the inspector I would be eating because I was pregnant.

I was lucky enough to have most of first tri over summer holidays.

Still had to whisper “Pregnant, puke!” at a poor trainee who was observing me as I ran out of bottom set year nine.

Luckily she had kids of her own and had my back.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. Def some ideas there I haven’t tried so will give them a go tomorrow. I’ll probably wear the wristbands then forget and roll my sleeves up!

@Whyarewehardofthinking can’t believe the parent complained about that! Outrageous!